The world is flat - so what?

Filed in archive Global Economy on January 29, 2006

I have just been trough Thomas L. Friedman's latest book. The book is no secret it's already a bestseller and it's good to see people are interested in the whole space.

However the first 300 pages enlist without much structure what major technological advances have been made in the developed world and some of the impact in the developing world primarily outsourcing. If you haven't been on a Pacific Island without internet for the last 5 years none of it will be surprising to you. Outsourcing of services has flourished and the internet has become ubiquitous.

Later in the book there is some more specific 'advice' how companies and countries should cope with the forces of a 'flat world'. Again nothing surprising but these chapters have more structure then the rest. Interesting for me as I'm doing more research about this is the analysis of the lack of economic growth and Globalization impulses in the Middle East.

So in all it's a good reach for the beach but falls short of providing new arguments of the benefits of globalization (as if there weren't enough already).

You may also check out Jagdish Bhagwati's book that has a more academic and structured approach.

### Update: Thanks to Topix and Kenneth Hunt I found this MIT lecture with Thomas L. Friedman that also offers a neat video.